Torn Page: This is How They Leave
by Dstar504
Summary: Death is not always the end. Final story in the Books of Spira, sequel to Book Three: Resolve and Book Two: Our Eternity.


Death is not always the end.

**Warnings: **This is a death fic. It takes Deathseeker concepts to their logical end, and does not shy away from them.**  
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Thank you for the Reviews/Follows.

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_Not Mine._

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** This is How They Leave **

20 years after they've stopped the war it's Nooj who dies first. Rikku is out sphere hunting when she Auron, Lulu, and Nooj run into a huge hulking beast of a machina. It's been hiding out in the Bikanel desert for a long time by the way sand cakes to it - hardened like rock. It's a long fight that takes all of their strength but when the beast fires at Lulu, Nooj dives in front of her like a damn hero. It's been twenty years but Rikku worries that Lulu will have flashbacks to Wakka. People seem to love dying for her. Instead, a day after the funeral Lulu walks up to Rikku and says thank you so many times that it leaves Rikku stunned. Nooj had always wanted to go down fighting, and Rikku had given that to him - Lulu could not be more grateful.

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Rikku still feels responsible for Nooj's death so she gives Lulu a job working with her. It pays well and Lulu seems to enjoy it. But Rikku knows that Lulu too is looking for a battle in which she also can go out in a flame of glory. She doesn't want to die of old age, she wants to burn brightly before her light is dimmed. Eventually Rikku starts to search out harder and more difficult hunts with greater chance of death. Auron is worried, but he protects Rikku best he can. Finally when all hope seems lost they enter this huge winding cave under the Mi'ihen Highroad and find what they seek. A powerful machina guards the treasure. When Lulu dies Rikku has no regrets. Auron never comments about how easy the missions get again once she's gone.

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Much later, when they have finally reached the edge of old age - Baralai slips away. He goes in his sleep quietly and with little fuss. Yuna hosts the funeral and there is a big procession. Paine says a few words but eventually breaks down crying, their daughter rushes up to console her mother and the two of them return to their seats. For a few years Paine is aimless in her quests, unsure of what to do now that immortality stretches out in front of her - goalless. Finally her daughter persuades her to return to Besaid and she does. For a long time she works there, until she cannot hide that she is no longer aging - and then she moves on - wandering the world and doing good deeds wherever she can. By the time she's one-hundred she's become a bit of an urban legend, and she's okay with that.

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They all end up attending Kimahri's funeral. It's more a celebration really - there is drinking and revelry. Loud drumming music plays throughout the whole cave. It is a great reminder of life, the one he lived and the one he has passed on. The ceremony continues late into the night, and the first day ends with Kelk burning his father's body on a pyre, surrounded by the rest of the tribe. The Hymn is sung and by the end of it everyone is crying save Kelk, who stands straight and wears his dry face with a warrior's pride.

The next day at the horn crowning ceremony they present him with his new robes and Yuna, bestows upon him the title of Leader of the Ronso. Later Kelk will climb to the top of the mountain and - comforted by his mother - howl into the night sky.

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Rikku's death does not come as a surprise, she makes it well into old age and as she lays in bed Auron and Naimi curled around her, she finds she does not regret a thing. Auron whispers stories of grand hunts and adventure into their ears, until Rikku's body stills and goes quiet. When she does Auron turns to Yuna - who had sat quietly watching her cousin pass and she swears she hardly remembers his face - it is soft and beautiful, as it had been many years ago when she first met him. With the loss of Rikku there is nothing for him to hold onto any more. Naimi takes her father's hand in hers and he kisses her forehead softly goodbye. Yuna doesn't have to dance - Auron has no need of it, instead she hums a funeral hymn for him and watches as his body slowly turns into pyreflies.

When he is gone Naimi cries softly. She will recover Yuna knows - her parents have left her with everything the young woman needs to thrive. It is not a few weeks later when Naimi returns to the helm of the ship her mother has left her, yelling out commands in her mother's sted.

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Yuna lives much longer than the average human. She makes it to one-hundred and seventy two before her body truly starts to break down. She doesn't know if it's the Aeon's swimming inside of her, or Tidus's own power that has kept her alive for so many years past when her friends have long slipped away. Even their children have passed some years ago - Naimi's great granddaughter now growing bright and strong. She and Tidus are sitting outside staring at the waters of Besaid - both of them reading the news. Yuna swears she only blinks for a second - and then she's standing in the farplane - flowers as far as her eyes can see. In the distance she can see her father and for a moment she hesitates - afraid to leave Tidus alone. But she hears his voice in her ear, telling her it's okay and so she rushes forward into her father's open arms and slips into the veil.

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When Yuna has gone Tidus returns to Old Zanarkand, the lights of the city making his golden hair look purple. As he stands on the platform where he once died and was reborn he slowly strips his soul of the fayth, letting them die once more. As they go he hears their thanks as clearly as if they were standing next to him. Finally when he is done he hears the soft sound of feet and then Paine appears beside him. Both of them look as if not a moment has passed since Paine was reborn from the sea, "It is quiet father," she tells him, no need for them to hide the truth of their relationship, hidden away here in a temple long lost to time.

"Yes. Very much so."

"Is it time?" she asks.

"I think so, yes."

"Do you think she'll be waiting for us on the other side?"

"There is only one way to find out," he says.

She takes his hand then, and they slip into a world with no dreams.

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Somewhere over the world known as Spira a young woman with brown hair and one green eye and one blue stands on an airship, shading herself from the sun. A long time ago her eye color used to be rare, now it is common as the sun. Behind her she hears her name called out, "Yuna!"

She turns to look at a woman with jet black hair, a streak of white down the middle - and rolls her eyes, "Coming!"

Together the two women return to the bridge of the ship. There is still work to be done.

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**A/N:** Thank you for reading! This is kinda of a depressing one but I think the final message is rather hopeful. It took me a long, long, time to post this I think because I was still processing the end of the first one.


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